When one conjures up the image of ‘frocks’, you would be forgiven if you didn’t think of a 5-piece all girl rock band. However, you were to Google “The Frocks”, you would soon discover the all girl band that rocks.

Eleni (centre) and The Frocks

Having joined the band in 2013, recent AIM Contemporary Performance graduate Eleni Kokkinos is currently one of the lead vocalists for Sydney’s most popular all-girl cover band “The Frocks”. Ask her if she loves it, and her smile will tell you the answer.

Eleni has been happily plying her trade as a musician in and around the Sydney music scene in various guises for some time, but it was her graduating recital which opened the door for the opportunity to meet and perform with her now 4 band mates, Liz, Louise, Lisa and Maria. Having come to the final trimester of her studies at AIM, Eleni was required to perform her final piece of work. For that she needed a band. Eleni contacted “The Frocks” because she had seen them play before and thought they would be a perfect fit for her. A few rehearsals later and The Frocks were her graduating recital backing band (check out the video below).

So impressed were The Frocks, that when opportunity came knocking soon after, Eleni found herself fronting the all-girl line up. The Frocks have also worked together on various projects such as radio jingles, major corporate functions with the likes of Jimmy Barnes and Diesel, to audiences of up to 10,000, in addition to writing and producing the theme song for a well known cable television show which is currently being internationally broadcast. The girls are also winners of the Mo Award for best Dance/Show Band 2014 as well as nominees for best Dance Band at the 2014 Australian Club Entertainment Awards.

A career in music has always been on the cards for this charismatic vocalist, who says she has wanted to play music ever since she can remember. However it wasn’t until she was 16 and part of a high school music tour to central Australia, that the epiphany of a lifetime in music became real for Eleni. “That’s when I knew what I wanted to do with my life” she says.

Eleni is versatile performer with a powerhouse voice. Her range of styles in her repertoire has allowed her to work in a wide variety of venues - from Sydney Harbour corporate cruises to five-star resorts in China such as The Sheraton, Suzhou, where she performed with the Sugar 'n Spice duo.

With experience under her belt, including Bootcamp on X-Factor, Eleni wanted to take her performance up a notch and credits her time at AIM as helping her to achieve this. “I was able to also meet other musicians and hone my craft. There was a world of experience to tap into at AIM” she says. Eleni was also exposed to other facets of the industry at AIM such as sound engineering and business skills. Eleni also has a longer term goal to delve into the realm of music therapy within the aged care context. “Music is a powerful tool” she adds, “it can help people rise above personal challenges and bring a lot of joy and happiness”.

On advice to young and emerging artists she adds, “take your time. It’s a lifetime career. Stay true, stay fit and healthy, keep learning and be nice to staff at any venue" she finishes with a smile.